Future models - Land Rover - Range Rover Evoque

First look: Range Rover reveals all-new Evoque

JAGUAR Land Rover (JLR) has revealed its second-generation Range Rover Evoque mid-size SUV, with it to feature a larger line-up with mild hybridisation, a fresh platform and new technologies upon entering Australian showrooms in the second quarter next year with a higher starting price.

The Evoque’s entry-level cost has risen by $8590, to $64,640 before on-road costs for the regular D150, as the price-leading manual transmission has been dropped in favour of a range-wide nine-speed ZF torque-convertor automatic unit.

Compared to its direct predecessor, the regular D150 is $1520 dearer, while the Evoque’s full pricing list is expected to be finalised by JLR Australia in about a week’s time. An on-demand all-wheel-drive system with electronic torque vectoring is standard.

An extensive range of 50 variants are set to be offered, with eight grades – regular, S, SE and HSE, plus R-Dynamic versions – and six engines – D150, D180, D240, P200, P250 and P300 – confirmed to head Down Under alongside two First Edition specials based on the D180 and P250.

While a three-cylinder plug-in hybrid is about 12 months away, the D150, D180, D240 and P300 units are already electrified, matched to a 48V mild-hybrid system – a JLR first – that consists of a belt-integrated starter generator and an underfloor battery pack.

As a result, idle-stop now turns off the engine while decelerating with the brake pedal engaged from 17km/h, while the energy stored via regenerative braking is then redeployed to provide supplementary electric boost under acceleration. This combination helps to optimise fuel efficiency and emissions.

Shaping up as the love child of its predecessor and the recently launched Velar mid-size SUV, the Evoque maintains its coupe-like silhouette but adds flush doorhandles, and slimmer LED headlights and tail-lights with scrolling indicators.

Riding on JLR’s new, mixed-material Premium Transverse Architecture, the Evoque now measures in at 4371mm long (+1mm), 1996mm wide (+11mm) and 1648mm high (+13mm) with a 2682mm wheelbase (+22mm).

The Evoque’s approach and departure angles are now 25 (+1.8) and 30.6 (-2.4) degrees respectively, while its ground clearance (212mm, +1mm) and wading depth (600mm, +100mm) have improved. The latter can be aided by the optional Wade Sensing feature that uses ultrasonic sensors to accurately measure the depth of the water, according to JLR.

While cargo capacity has grown to 591L (+16L) with the 40/20/40 split-fold rear bench upright, it has also fallen by 62L, to 1383L, with the second row stowed.

Inside the cabin, the Velar’s Touch Pro Duo dual 10.0-inch touchscreen set-up has made its way into the Evoque, while a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster is also offered for the first time alongside Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The Evoque’s rearview mirror can also be transformed into a video feed at the flick of a switch, helping to improve visibility when rear occupants and/or bulky items are present by using a using a camera mounted on top of the vehicle.

ClearSight Ground View is a world first, making the Evoque’s bonnet ‘invisible’ by projecting a 180-degree live view of its front end onto the upper touchscreen. JLR claims this makes the urban commute and off-roading easier to navigate.

Adaptive dampers help to optimise ride comfort in the Evoque, which has a suspension set-up consisting of MacPherson strut front and multi-link rear axles.

Terrain Response 2 uses multiple sensors in the Evoque to automatically alter its vehicle settings to match the prevailing conditions when in Auto mode. Similarly, Smart Settings adapts to driver preferences, such as seating and climate.

Sales of the Evoque have taken a massive hit this year in the lead up to its new model’s release, with 1183 examples sold to the end of October – a 52.8 per cent decrease over the 2509 deliveries made during the same period in 2017.